The Underground Railroad, The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, and Prison

[Morpheus]

I was listening to a historian being interviewed today and the subject matter inspired me to ask others a few questions. The questions are in reference the the U.S. prior to the advent of the Civil War.

In your personal opinion:​

1) do you think that those who facilitated the escape of slaves deserved imprisonment? Why/why not?

2) do you think that those who facilitated the escape of slaves were justified doing so? Why/why not?​

(These are actually separate questions)​

Text of Fugitive Slave Act of 1850

Wikipedia: Fugitive Slave Act of 1850

 

[Morpheus]

Other questions that are somewhat related:​

1) Did those who hid Jews from Nazis deserve punishment? Were they justified doing it?

2) Do those who leave water and food in the desert for undocumented immigrants deserve punishment? Are they justified doing it?​

I'll come back later to comment.

 

[Morpheus]

No big deal. I was mainly curious just how deeply legalism is ingrained, and how much its absence or presence affects other daily decisions.

 

[Ktoyou]

No, I would not like people hunting people. Then I have to ask myself, would I be the same, if I were 70 years old in 1850?

 

[Ktoyou]

Other questions that are somewhat related:​

1) Did those who hid Jews from Nazis deserve punishment? Were they justified doing it?

2) Do those who leave water and food in the desert for undocumented immigrants deserve punishment? Are they justified doing it?​

I'll come back later to comment.

Those who hid Jews from Nazis should be rewarded, but since I am not too perfect, I would be willing to hold a Nazi down and let the Jews kick him.

 

[Morpheus]

Those who hid Jews from Nazis should be rewarded, but since I am not too perfect, I would be willing to hold a Nazi down and let the Jews kick him.

We're both flawed. I'd have to help you.
We could feel guilty about it later......maybe.

 

[annabenedetti]

1) do you think that those who facilitated the escape of slaves deserved imprisonment? Why/why not?

No. Because: Any human being who has not forfeited his liberty by his crimes, has a right to be free--and that whosoever forcibly withhold liberty from an innocent man, robs him of his rights and violates the Moral Law.
--Jonathan Dymond

2) do you think that those who facilitated the escape of slaves were justified doing so? Why/why not?

Yes, for the same reason as above.

1) Did those who hid Jews from Nazis deserve punishment? Were they justified doing it?

No, and yes.

2) Do those who leave water and food in the desert for undocumented immigrants deserve punishment? Are they justified doing it?

No, and yes.

 

[Arthur Brain]

No. Because: Any human being who has not forfeited his liberty by his crimes, has a right to be free--and that whosoever forcibly withhold liberty from an innocent man, robs him of his rights and violates the Moral Law.
--Jonathan Dymond
Yes, for the same reason as above.No, and yes.
No, and yes.

Seconded...

 

[patrick jane]

i live near a key stop of TUR. Lovejoy IL - aka Brooklyn IL. directly across the mississippi from the arch (Downtown St Louis) -

 

[resodko]

it wasn't underground up here (upstate ny)


fugitive slave chasers tended to end up disappeared

 

[Morpheus]

When I was a kid in Indianapolis some close frieds lived in the original old brick two-story built where the Westside is now. The house had a cellar accessible from outside; but inside, in the closet under the stairway, there was a virtually undetectable trap door to a small, separate cellar. According to historians that house was part of the UR, and that room was used to temporarily hide runaways on their way to Chicago.